Police Calls Up At Outlets

No Crime Spree, Just More Traffic, Clinton Chief Says

CLINTON — There is a quiet rumor making the rounds in town that the newly opened Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets has caused a surge in police calls.

The rumor is true, according to Police Chief Joseph P. Faughnan. But residents do not have to start bolstering the locks on their homes and cars, because there is no major crime spree occurring in the quiet shoreline town of nearly 13,000 residents. Most calls at the shopping center are for fender-benders, car lockouts, false alarms and other minor patrol calls, Faughnan said.

``Any time you put 70 businesses in an area, there are bound to be an increase in police calls,'' he said. ``There are more people, more cars to deal with.''

Clinton Crossing opened Labor Day weekend to record-breaking crowds and a steady stream of traffic. Extra police officers were called in to deal with the estimated 75,000 people who shopped at the center during the first weekend.

The center, one of several owned by a New Jersey developer, continues to attract shoppers from throughout the Northeast, but the stream of customers has diminished enough that traffic no longer clogs Route 81.

During the first few months, the police department averaged about 100 calls a month to the shopping center. Though the department has handled some cases involving shoplifting and bad checks, most calls are requests to assist with medical emergencies or minor traffic accidents, Faughnan said

The additional calls to the department are not overtaxing for the 24 full-time members of the police department and there are no plans to expand the department, Faughnan said.

``We're handling it,'' he said.

Faughnan credited the shopping center's security department for helping to field many of the non- crime-related complaints.

``We're very concerned about security,'' said company spokeswoman Michele Rothstein. ``Having a security team is part of having a shopping mall.''

Rothstein declined to supply specific information on how many employees work in the security department at the center, but said the center has a full security force.